The remains of the fortress Markova mekhana (bulgarian: Маркова механа) are located 600 meters from the pass Gate of Trajan. More often this fortress and the whole place are called "Gate of Trajan" too. It dates from the time of the Roman empire. In ancient times it was called Stipon. Archeological excavations took place there in 1975.
Years before the excavations people from villages Gorno Varshilo and Dolno Varshilo were passing near the remains of the ancient fortress on their way to cities of Kostenetz, Samokov and Ihtiman where they were selling their production of grapes and cherries. Near the fortress, when it got dark, people started to hear some strange hissing. In the villages people started to talk that these noises are made by samodivas.
In the folklore samodivas are unearthly beautiful creatures, but in most cases hostile to people. They live in the mountains and only come out at night in the woods and on the roads. They can enchant passengers. Therefore the inhabitants of the two villages were very careful when they were passing near the Gate of Trajan.
After the excavations, hissing stops. It is assumed that it was caused by a vortex of air in a semi-open tunnel, which has been blocked by the other side.
The area itself has a very bloody history. The Gate of Trajan is one of the few passages between the field of Sofia and the Upper Trakia Valley. Therefore, all rulers fiercely defended the pass, starting from the Thracian tribe Bessi. After them Romans and Byzantines were the next to rule this pass. It is believed that the passage is named after the emperor Trajan.
Here in 986 bulgarian tzar Samuil defeated the Byzantine army. Here for 7 years, Bulgarians hold against Ottoman invasion. The countless hordes of Ottoman turks finally managed to capture the Bulgarian fortress but many of them died.
In the winter of 1443-1444 the crusaders of Vladislav Varnenchik reached the Gate of Tajan in his first campaign against the Turks. The next year he decided to go through Northern Bulgaria, knowing very well how difficult it is to capture this passage.
In the time of the Ottoman Empire the passage is full of bandits. Nothing helped against them neither quartered Turkish army garrison, nor that Bulgarian villages Klissura (now extinct) and Vetren who were exempted from some of the taxes to the Empire in exchange for guarding the pass against bandits. Ultimately during the Middle Ages, the pass was abandoned because of banditry and people began to use the way through Momin prohod, Kostenetz and Belovo.
In 1877-1878 in the passage of Trajan, Turks dug trenches and were preparing for a decisive battle againt the Russian army, but because of the disorganization and panic they fled to Pazardzhik giving this strategic area without a fight.
Are the ghosts of all who died there still haunting this place?
The area has another peculiarity. In 1969 a small plane fell there. Rescuers were looking four days for it. It turns out that there is an "air hole" over this place. Since then, planes do not fly over there. So It can be called the "Bulgarian Bermuda Triangle."
Most of the information for this material is taken from the book of Miho Tchervenkov - "City of Kostenetz and the valley. Book One: from antiquity to 1878."
I live in this region, and I know about some of the things described in the book of Miho Tchervenkov, but others were new even for me. Still for others I have different information. I have heard that the "air hole" is not over the Trajan Gate, but near the village of Verinsko. During the communist era a grain warehouse was built there so in case of a war with Western world, it would be hard for the enemy aircrafts to bomb it. But maybe I am wrong or there are two "air holes" - over Verinsko and over The Gate of Trajan.
Finally some pictures of the fortress Markova Mekhana from Wikipedia:
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